Behold: the father is his daughter's son:
The bird that built the nest, is hatched therein:
The old of years, an hour hath not outrun:
Eternal life, to live doth now begin.
The Word is dumb: the mirth of heaven doth weep:
Might feeble is: and force doth faintly creep.
O dying souls, behold your living spring:
O dazzled eyes, behold your sun of grace:
Dull ears, attend what word this Word doth bring:
Up, heavy hearts: with joy your joy embrace.
From death, from dark, from deafness, from despairs:
This life, this light, this Word, this joy repairs.
Gift better than Himself, God doth not know:
Gift better than his God, no man can see:
This gift doth here the giver Given bestow:
Gift to this gift let each receiver be.
God is my gift, Himself he freely gave me:
God's gift am I, and none but God shall have me.
Man altered was by sin from man to beast:
Beasts' food is hay, hay is all mortal flesh:
Now God is flesh, and lies in Manger pressed
As hay, the brutest sinner to refresh.
O happy field wherein that fodder grew,
Whose taste doth us from beasts to men renew.
- Robert Southwell (1561-1595)
I'm so thankful for the prayers of the people of God. My dad had a heart attack last night, but is doing well in the ICU at the hospital right now. He had two stints put in, and he was able to talk fine this morning and his color was back. I'll post more when I know more; thanks for praying.
Its Christmas break and my sister and brother are home from Covenant. Out in the work-world the only break you get is the vacation you take, and this year I'm taking the week between Christmas and New Years. My brother and sister-in-law are coming Christmas weekend from St. Louis, and then New Year's weekend I'm going with my family up to New Jersey, Delaware, and Philadephia (the heartbeat of America, to borrow a phrase from diber) for four solid days, not counting travel days.
I'm done all my Christmas shopping- most of it I finished two Saturdays ago at Greyfriars, using their wifi internet to order a few remaining items. Hopefully my mom's gift will come on time, but its ordered from way way across the deep blue sea. Don't tell her if you see her; I'm reasonably confident she won't see this post.
We're moving tables here in our kitchen, and I've gotta get off here and help.
Please join me and other Covenant College alumni for an advent concert tomorrow, Sunday (4 December 2005), at 4:00 PM in the chapel. This is the first concert of the Covenant College alumni choir.
Folks are coming from as far away as New Jersey for this concert, so no excuses for those of you who live closer. Be there. It will be fun.